Oakeshott exposed on Pacific Highway porkies
18th October, 2012
Joint Media ReleaseWarren Truss MP
Leader of The Nationals
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
Dr David Gillespie
Nationals Candidate for Lyne
CLAIMS by the Member for Lyne Rob Oakeshott that he had secured the transfer of funding from Labor’s proposed Epping to Parramatta rail line to the Pacific Highway have been exposed as porkies during Senate Estimates this week.
“Last month I announced that a Coalition Government will redirect $2.08 billion from the Epping to Parramatta rail line to fully fund and fast-track the Pacific Highway duplication,” Nationals leader and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Warren Truss said today.
“It lifts guaranteed federal funding to complete the highway to $5.6 billion and restores the traditional 80:20 federal-state funding split for national highways. It puts an end to Labor’s political stunts and demands for unachievable 50:50 funding from NSW.
“It was a commitment met with relief by communities along the entire NSW mid and north coast.
“Enter Rob Oakeshott. He slammed the announcement making the bizarre claim that he had already secured the transfer of the $2.08 billion from the defunct Epping to Parramatta rail line to the Pacific Highway. This fantasy has been blown away by the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure and Transport during Senate Estimates.
“In written answers to Senate Estimate questions the government has confirmed that the $2.08 billion is still in its Contingency Fund and still earmarked for the Epping to Parramatta rail line.
“During Senate Estimates on Tuesday, Senator Fiona Nash asked if funding is still allocated for all nine projects in the Contingency Fund, including the Epping-Parramatta Railway ($2.08 billion).
“Department Secretary Mike Mrdak said: ‘All of these projects are government commitments for Nation Building 2. The program commences in 2014-15. So that is why, at the moment, they sit in the contingency reserve’.
“This is a damning indictment of Mr Oakeshott, who clearly has been propping up Julia Gillard for so long that he thinks he, too, can just make things up and get away with it.”
On 17 September 2012 Mr Oakeshott claimed in a media release:
“It’s apparent that the Epping-Parramatta rail money in the forward estimates ended up being redirected to the Pacific Highway upgrade, so the cookie jar has already been raided. The National Party is right to think it’s a good idea, but they are 12 months off the pace because it has already happened.
“Twelve months later the figure jumped another $3.5 billion, largely because the NSW Government rejected Commonwealth money for the Epping-Parramatta Rail line, so I lobbied for the money to go to the Pacific Highway upgrade instead.”
“Wrong! The only way the money will get to the Pacific Highway will be to elect a Coalition Government,” Mr Truss added.
Nationals Candidate for Lyne David Gillespie also hit back today: “Rob Oakeshott has been peddling a clear, desperate and contemptible falsehood. According to the Department of Infrastructure and Transport the full $2.08 billion remains untouched in its Contingency Fund and committed to a Sydney rail line that will not be built.
“As Mr Oakeshott said, moving the money to the higher priority Pacific Highway is, indeed, a ‘great idea’ and Warren Truss deserves full credit for making it a Coalition priority. Mr Oakeshott owes Mr Truss an engraved apology.”
But it wasn’t the only bombshell out of Senate Estimates for Mr Oakeshott, who has so far refused to acknowledge the deal between federal and NSW Labor goverment’s that saw the Commonwealth stump up funding greater than 50% for Pacific Highway projects.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the Commonwealth and NSW stipulates an 80:20 split for new Pacific Highway projects.
“Now, responding to a Senate Estimates question from Nationals Senator John Williams, the Department has confirmed that 16 Pacific Highway projects have been funded with a Commonwealth contribution greater than 50%,” Mr Truss said.
“The Member for Lyne has been caught out parroting false Labor lines.
“Rob Oakeshott is rivalled only by the Labor government he has been in lock-step with for two years – two years that have seen this Labor-Greens-Independents alliance do and say anything to cling to power.
“The Coalition will end the games and half-baked deceptions. In partnership with NSW we have a guaranteed funding arrangement to fully duplicate the Pacific Highway and get this dangerous road fixed once-and-for-all.”
[ENDS]
